Commodities Volatility: Our CEO John Banaszkiewicz looks back at 2023 (and forecasts for 2024)

Market Volatility and Season's Greetings! Hello and welcome to a special edition of Freight Up, the go-to podcast for the latest buzz in the commodities and freight markets from FIS. I'm your host, Fernanda, and boy, do we have a jam-packed episode lined up for you this week. And it's just as well because this is our last episode of 2023!We've got Joshua Stern, Archie Smith, Hao Pei, George Huston, and of course, John Banaszkiewicz, centre stage to dissect the fluctuations that are setting the tone for both 2023 and the predictions that 2024 holds. We're also linking here to the website John B mentions in his conversation with us, in case you're feeling festively charitable and want to help us to help Ukraine!We'll explore the ripples of the nickel price surge on battery costs and the consequent allure for financial players in the green battery production space. Josh will take us through the steel markets, from USHRC to scrap, and we'll delve into the ever-fluctuating landscape of oil with Archie's expert insights on those OPEC decisions and their far-reaching impacts. Oh and an update on Al Zour!But it's not all charts and numbers; we'll touch upon the more personal side of our guests as they share their humanitarian efforts, their holiday cheer, and, yes, their plans for their four-legged friends during the festive season. Love going straight out to the Smith family doggos!With the masterful breakdowns from our commodity connoisseurs, we're looking at market drivers like freight, iron ore, and the growth of the battery metals market with us lot at FIS setting the pace. We're also zooming into the futures of Supermax, Cape, and more with eye-opening contract period interests that have surged before we all turn our calendars.George Houston's ground-breaking venture into the fertiliser options market and Hao Pei's prediction on iron ore prices serve as testaments to the innovation and foresight pulsing through the veins of this industry.Timestamps05:05 Poor demand outlook, shipping route concerns impact prices.09:32 Volatility in markets, challenging year for traders.11:00 Market sentiment leans positive, despite volatility.16:32 Complexity and volatility in the environmental market.20:01 Steel market experiencing volatility, momentum slowing down.23:39 Curve flattens, backwardation returns, interest in 2024.27:42 North China weather disrupts port, Pacific rates rise.29:02 Highly volatile week in shipping and trading.32:12 Panamax, Cape, Supermax saw high trading volumes.36:28 Specialised in grain risk management; advocating accessibility.40:32 Iron ore demand and supply dynamics suggest bearish outlook.42:37 Iron ore prediction for 2024: higher average.Remember to review and follow us on whichever app you enjoy listening to us in!